An Oahu laboratory received certification Monday to begin testing medical marijuana from licensed dispensaries, opening the way for at least one Maui dispensary to begin putting its flowers, capsules and oils on the market by mid-August.
Maui Grown Therapies, one of two Maui licensed dispensaries, said Monday that medical cannabis samples from its production center are on their way to Steep Hill Hawaii Lab for mandatory testing for safety and potency. Steep Hill was granted a provisional certification by the state Department of Health after the lab passed its final onsite inspection and met other requirements.
Teri Freitas Gorman, director of community relations and patient affairs for Maui Grown Therapies, said Monday that once the samples pass the mandatory tests for heavy metals, pesticides and microbial contamination, which could take three to five days, the dispensary has to pass final retail inspection by the Health Department.
Once the lab-tested products are returned to the dispensary, the Health Department will observe a rehearsal of a sale, check security programs and make sure the dispensary is in compliance with regulations, she said. Freitas Gorman could not say how long it would take for inspectors to come to its Maui Lani facility or for the Health Department to issue a notice to proceed, but said that the department has been “very responsive.”
